Health n Wellness

Dengue Fever And Nutrition

2011-09-23T07:37:00.000-07:00

Dengue is a viral disease spread by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. Dengue is endemic to many tropical countries.

Know the symptoms of dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever. The signs of dengue fever are high fever, rash, vomiting, headache and severe joint pain. The symptoms for dengue hemorrhagic fever are more severe and can include respiratory complications, abdominal pain, bleeding, bruising and shock.

When talking about nutrition for dengue fever one cannot forget continuous rest and intake of water to the required amount which should be observed from the initial stages itself. It is more secure to consult a doctor if the above mentioned symptoms persist for more than 3-4 days. There are some people who are infected with the disease but no external symptoms. This is a very serious case as the disease will be brought to the notice of others only after it reaches the dangerous conditions.

Yet there is no specific cure for dengue infection but the disease could be controlled to a large extent with the use of drugs

Sufficient nutrition can save many lives suffering from the illness. Do not delay to consult a physician or a doctor as it might get hard to cure under serious conditions. Scientists have taken actions on developing specific drugs and nutrition for dengue fever which are still on the progress. Hope they will give a better solution to this Health issue in the years to come. No one can detect the fact if a mosquito is carrying the disease or not. Therefore one should take enough care to limit mosquito bites as far as possible. It is advisable to wear long dresses with full sleeves in order to cover your whole body. Use bed nets and electric vapor mats to prevent mosquitoes. 2 hours after and before sunset are recorded as peak hours of mosquito biting.

A mosquito becomes a dengue virus carrier only after biting an infected person therefore it is the responsibility of the patient to protect from mosquito bites.

Paracetamol help to bring down fever and it is advised to use it only after the said time intervals. Aspirin and brufen could develop the risk of bleeding and reduce platelets therefore it is suggested to limit those drugs to be on the safe side. Antibiotics cannot help this. Platelet transfusion has to be done only in the case of very law platelet count and bleeding.

What to drink:

Purified water, coconut water and other healthy water preparations: lemon water, turmeric water, herbal water (with tarragon, lemon grass, mint)

Coconut juice replenishes electrolytes, minerals and other trace minerals lost by the body to dehydration.

Vegetable juices – carrots, cucumber, sweet potato tops, papaya leaves, moringa juice and other green leafy vegetables.

Studies show that pure organic vegetable juices can provide all the basics of human nutrition.

Fruit juices – papaya, oranges, guava,

"Prevention is better than cure". This saying is very true with dengue fever as it could be prevented.

RAMADAN SPECIAL

2011-08-23T09:01:00.000-07:00

Bread nuggets

Ingredients:

Bread slice 2

Red chilli powder 1 Table spoon (Tbsp)

Salt to taste

Coriander 2 Tbsp

Baisen (gram flour) 5 Tbsp

Oil for frying

Method:

Cut the corner of bred and shaped them in round.

Add all the other ingredients in baisen and mix it with water.

Heat oil in a pan.

Dip the shaped slices in the mixture and deep fry till it turns to golden brown.

Serve it with ketchup or mint chutney.

Spicy Potato Macaroni

Ingredients:

Potato ½ kg

macaroni (boil) 1 cup

Ginger & garlic paste 2 Tbsp

Turmeric powder 1 tsp

Cumin seed (zeera) 1 tsp

Chaat masalah 1 tsp

Red chilli powder 1 Tbsp

Lemon juice 2 Tbsp

Coriander leaves chopped as required

Salt to taste

Oil 2 Tbsp

Method:

Cut the potatoes in small squares and boil them.

Heat oil in pan and add ginger & garlic paste, turmeric powder, zeera, red chilli powder and salt. Stir constantly.

Add potatoes and macaroni in it.

Now add lemon juice & coriander leaves.

Sprinkle chaat masalah.

Serve hot.

Ramadan Special

2011-08-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

Chicken Pakoray

Ingredients:-

· 12 kg boneless chicken pieces

· 3 Tbsp chili sauce

· 2 tsp crushed red chilies

· 3 Tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

· 1 egg

· 1 Tbsp Soya sauce

· 3 Tbsp cornflour

· 1 Tbsp honey
to taste

· Oil for deep frying

Method:-

Mix all the ingredients, except chicken and corn flour.
Now add chicken pieces and mix well.
Refrigerate for two hours.
Add corn flour and mix well to make a smooth coating on the chicken pieces.
Heat oil in a pan and deep fry chicken on high heat till cooked.

Serve with chili garlic sauce & french fries.

Chicken Potato Cutlets

Ingredients:-

· Chicken boneless boiled & shreded 200gms

· Potato boiled & mashed 1/2 kg

· Red chillies Powder 1-1/2 tsp

· Salt to taste

· Black pepper 1/2 tsp

· Chat Masala Powder 1/2 tsp

· Onion thinly chopped 2-3

· Green coriander leaves 1/2 bunch

· Zeera whole 3/4 tsp

· Sabit Dhania 3/4 tsp

· Lemon juice 1

· Bread slices soaked in water & drained & mashed 2

Method:-

Mash Potatoes well. Mix all the ingredients in it one by one very well to form a thick mixture.
Shape them to small kababs.
Fry in pan with little cooking oil to golden.
Serve with tea or at dinner with tomato ketchup

DIET DURING RAMADAN

2011-08-19T04:33:00.000-07:00

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Every day during this month, Muslims around the world spend the daylight hours in a complete fast.

During the blessed month of Ramadan, Muslims all over the world abstain from food, drink, and other physical needs during the daylight hours. As a time to purify the soul, refocus attention on Allah, and practice self-sacrifice. Ramadan is much more than just not eating and drinking. The Arabic word for "fasting" literally means "to refrain" - and it means not only refraining from food and drink, but from evil actions, thoughts, and words.

Fasting is not merely physical, but is rather the total commitment of the person's body and soul to the spirit of the fast. Ramadan is a time to practice self-restraint; a time to cleanse the body and soul from impurities and re-focus one's self on the worship of Allah.

Ramadan fasting has spiritual, physical, psychological, and social benefits; however, man-made problems may occur, if fasting is not properly practiced.

During the holy month of Ramadan, our diet should not differ very much from our normal diet and should be as simple as possible. The diet should be such that we maintain our normal weight, neither losing nor gaining. However, if one is over-weight, Ramadan is an ideal time to normalize one’s weight. In view of the long hours of fasting, we should consume slow digesting foods including fiber containing-foods rather than fast-digesting foods. Slow digesting foods last up to 8 hours, while fast-digesting foods last for only 3 to 4 hours.

• Slow-digesting foods are foods that contain grains and seeds like barley, wheat, oats, millet, semolina, beans, lentils, whole meal flour, unpolished rice, etc. (called complex carbohydrates).
• Fast-burning foods are foods that contain sugar, white flour, etc. (called refined carbohydrates).
• Fiber-containing foods are bran-containing foods, whole wheat, grains and seeds, vegetables like green beans, peas, sem (papry), marrow, spinach, and other herbs like methie, the leaves of beet root (iron-rich), fruit with skin, dried fruit especially dried apricots, figs and prunes, almonds, etc. The foods eaten should be well-balanced, containing foods from each food group, i.e. fruits, vegetables, meat/chicken/fish, bread/cereals and dairy products. Fried foods are unhealthy and should be limited. They cause indigestion, heart-burn, and weight problems.

Sahur:

First of all, there is no need to consume excess food at iftar, dinner. The body has regulatory mechanisms that activate during fasting. There is efficient utilization of body fat. Basal metabolism slows down during Ramadan fasting. A diet that is less than a normal amount of food intake but balanced is sufficient enough to keep a person healthy and active during the month of Ramadan.

Consume a light sahur. Eat whole wheat or oat cereal or whole wheat bread, 1-2 servings with a cup of milk. Add 2-3 teaspoons of olive oil or any other monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats in a salad or the cereal. Eat 1-2 servings of fruits. Yoghurt is good to consume in sahur.

Iftar:

The body's immediate need at the time of iftar is to get an easily available energy source in the form of glucose for every living cell, particularly the brain and nerve cells. Dates and juices are good sources of sugars.

Avoid
• Fried and fatty foods.
• Foods containing too much sugar.
• Over-eating especially at sahur (the meal before beginning the fast).
• Too much tea at sahur. Tea makes you pass more urine taking with it valuable mineral salts that your body would need during the day.
• Smoking cigarettes. If you cannot give up smoking, cut down gradually starting a few weeks before Ramadan. Smoking is unhealthy and one should stop completely.

Eat
• Complex carbohydrates at sahur so that the food lasts longer making you less hungry.
• Haleem is an excellent source of protein and is a slow-burning food.
• Dates are excellent source of sugar, fiber, carbohydrates, potassium and magnesium.
• Almonds are rich in protein and fiber with less fat.
• Bananas are a good source of potassium, magnesium and carbohydrates.

Drink
• As much water or fruit juices as possible between Iftar (breakfast) and bedtime so that your body may adjust fluid levels in time.

Normal or overweight people should not gain weight. For overweight people Ramadan is an excellent opportunity to lose weight. Underweight or marginally normal weight people are discouraged from losing weight. Analyzing a diet's energy and nutritional component, using food composition tables or computer software, will be useful in planning an appropriate diet.

It is recommended that everyone engage in some kind of light exercise, such as stretching or walking. It's important to follow good time management practices for Ibadah (prayer and other religious activities), sleep, studies, job, and physical activities or exercise.

UNDERSTANDING THE ELEMENTS OF HEALTH

2011-07-26T03:12:00.000-07:00

The body is the complex organism that has the ability to heal itself -if only you listen to it and respond with proper nourishment and care. The human body is the greatest machine on earth. Think of your body as being composed of millions of tiny little engines. The fuel we give our bodies’ engines comes directly from the things we consume. The foods we consume contain nutrients.

Individual nutrients differ in form and function, and in the amount needed by the body; however, they are all vital to our health. Research has shown that each part of the body contains high concentrations of certain nutrients. A deficiency of those nutrients will cause the body part to malfunction and eventually break down-and like, dominos, other body parts will follow.

Brain function, memory, skin elasticity, eyesight, energy, the ratio of lean to fat tissue in the body, and overall health are all indications of how well the body is functioning. With the help of the proper nutrition, exercise and a balanced diet, we can slow the process of aging and greatly improve our chances for a healthier and pain-free and possibly, longer-life.

If we do not give our self the proper nutrition, we can impairs the body’s normal function and cause ourselves great harm. Even if we show no signs of illness, we may not necessarily be healthy. It simply may be that we are not yet exhibiting any overt symptoms of illness. One problem most of us have is that we do not get the nutrients we need from our diets because most of the foods we consume our cooked and/ or processed. Cooking at high temperatures and processing destroy vital nutrients the body needs to function properly. The organic raw foods that supply these elements are largely missing from today’s diet.

Your body’s nutritional needs are as unique to you as your appearance is. The first step toward wellness, therefore, is to be sure you are getting the correct amounts of the proper nutrients. By understanding the principles of the holistic nutrition and knowing what nutrients you need, you can improve the state of your health, ward off diseases, and maintain a harmonious balance in the way nature intended.

Eating a healthful diet and supplementing your diet with appropriate nutrients will help to assure that your organs, cells and tissues get the fuel they need to operate properly. The nutrients promote healing and wellness by allowing the body to heal and reinvigorate itself.

Good nutrition is the foundation of good health. Everyone needs the four basic nutrients – water, carbohydrates, proteins and fats, - as well as vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients. To be able to choose the proper foods, and to better understand why those foods should be supported with supplements; you need to have a clear idea of the components of a healthy diet.

Anti-oxidants

2011-07-04T07:34:00.000-07:00

Antioxidants are nutrients (vitamins and minerals) as well as enzymes (proteins in your body that assist in chemical reactions).

Antioxidants are substances or nutrients in our foods which can prevent or slow the oxidative damage to our body. When our body cells use oxygen, they naturally produce free radicals (by-products) which can cause damage. Antioxidants act as "free radical scavengers" and hence prevent and repair damage done by these free radicals.

The benefits of antioxidants include stopping oxidation process and returning stability to the body. They prevent cell damage and improve the body’s ability to repair itself. Antioxidants fight off the negative effects of oxidative stress on the cells caused by free radicals. Their presence in the body not only stops cell degeneration, but helps healthy cells grow.

Health problems such as heart disease, macular degeneration, diabetes, cancer are all contributed by oxidative damage. Antioxidants may also enhance immune defense and therefore lower the risk of cancer and infection. Stress, pollution and aging can damage the immune system. Antioxidants keep the immune system strong thereby making it easier to fight off diseases.

The presence of antioxidants in the body helps slow the signs of aging by fighting against premature aging of cells. Staying youthful is one of the most sought after benefits of antioxidants. Keeping cells healthy inside the body keeps a person’s outer appearance looking healthy. Those with high numbers of antioxidants in the body tend to have healthier skin, less wrinkles and a more youthful appearance.

Antioxidant substances include

Beta-carotene
Lutein
Lycopene
Selenium
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Vitamin E

Antioxidants are found in varying amounts in foods such as vegetables, fruits, grain cereals, eggs, meat, legumes and nuts. Some antioxidants such as lycopene and ascorbic acid can be destroyed by long-term storage or prolonged cooking. Other antioxidant compounds are more stable, such as the polyphenolic antioxidants in foods such as whole-wheat cereals and tea. The effects of cooking and food processing are complex, as these processes can also increase the bioavailability of antioxidants, such as some carotenoids in vegetables. In general, processed foods contain fewer antioxidants than fresh and uncooked foods, since the preparation processes may expose the food to oxygen.

Antioxidant compounds	Foods containing high levels of these antioxidants
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)	Fresh Fruits and vegetables
Vitamin E (tocopherols, tocotrienols)	Vegetable oils
Polyphenolic antioxidants (resveratrol, flavonoids)	Tea, coffee, soy, fruit, olive oil, chocolate, cinnamon, oregano and red wine
Carotenoids (lycopene, carotenes, lutein)	Fruit, vegetables and eggs.

Choosing raw fruits and vegetables rather than cooked, provides the highest concentration and best absorption of antioxidants. Dietary supplements are also available for those that do not consume enough antioxidant-producing foods.

Diet According to Blood Donation

2011-06-15T05:17:00.000-07:00

Blood donation not only could help others but also is good to body health.

In order to donate blood, you must be in good health, at least 17-years-old, weigh at least 110 lbs. and be able to pass a health history assessment. The specific requirements vary according to each state and may change if you are donating a specific part of your blood, such as red blood cells, plasma or platelets.

Donating blood can cause temporary weight loss. According to the University of Southern California Blood Donor Center, this weight loss is typically 1 to 2 lbs. and is recovered after only two to three days as your body replaces its lost fluids.

If you have recently experienced weight loss or are attempting to lose weight, ask your doctor before donating blood to make sure that it is safe and will not interfere with your weight loss program. If you are hoping that donating blood will provide weight loss, focus instead on a healthy varied diet and regular physical activity.

Diet Before Blood Donation:

The diet before donating blood should be light and avoid greasy foods. Do not eat high protein food such as shrimps and crabs to prevent protein deterioration and allergic substances in the blood; do not eat too full on the night before and do not drink alcohol two meals before; keep good sleep and do not have strenuous exercise; do not donate blood with empty stomach, and people should eat some foods such as porridge and bread to avoid dizziness, palpitation, sweating and other responses. In addition, if people get cold or cough before, they should put off blood donation. And women should avoid donating blood three days before and after menstruation.

Diet After Blood Donation:

After donating blood, people should notice the nutrition calculation. They can eat lean meat, eggs, soy products, fresh fruits and vegetables to promote faster recovery of blood components. But do not overeat and drink alcohol. If the diet is scientific and nutritional the blood will recover in short time.

Drink more water to supplement the lost liquid, you can also drink brown sugar water to achieve goals of supplementing iron and blood. Do not drink tea during one month. Eat more hematopoietic food. The main raw materials of blood generation are protein, iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid. Thus, body absorbs such substances to supplement blood and prevent anemia. Blood donation could stimulate the blood regeneration in body and it is good for health.

Exercise After Blood Donation:

If you are following a weight loss program that requires strenuous exercise, you may not be able to follow the program immediately after giving blood. Light exercise is safe, but you should avoid intense activity or heavy lifting for 24 hours after donating blood.

Weight Loss

2011-06-03T10:24:00.000-07:00

Easy Ways To Loss Weight

Losing weight can be a challenge, especially if you have many pounds to shed. It can be difficult to sift through all the fad diets, and downright dangerous supplements and pills on the market today.

· Drink 8-10 glasses of water each day - this helps flush your body of impurities and fat. You can also substitute a few glasses of water for green or herbal tea.

· Break up your meals into 5 or 6 smaller ones - this will help speed up your metabolism and keep you from getting too hungry in between meals.

· Increase your fruit and vegetable intake - these are packed with vitamins.

· Decrease your fat intake - try for no more than 20 grams per day.

· Exercise for 30 minutes each day - take a walk, or play a game with your kids. Just get moving.

· Find a hobby - take up knitting or painting to keep your hands busy.

· Don’t eat that late night snack - Try not to eat for at least 2 hours before going to bed.

· Increase your fiber - choose whole grain pasta and bread.

· Start reading labels – so you should know what u are eating. Is it good for you or bad

· Sleep well— body needs proper rest, eight hours sleep is necessary for good health.

· Change your lifestyle-When you change your dietary lifestyle, however, you’re changing your habits – and you’re putting yourself on track for long-term / continued success and weight maintenance.

Breakfast Recipes

2011-06-02T08:36:00.000-07:00

Citrus Berry Smoothie

This meal-in-a-glass smoothie is bursting with berries and orange juice, healthful sources of carbohydrate and powerful antioxidants. Getting plenty of antioxidant-rich foods makes sense for active people, since free radicals are produced any time the body's cells process oxygen.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups fresh berries

3/4 cup low-fat plain yogurt

1/2 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk

1 tablespoon toasted wheat germ

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Place berries, yogurt, orange juice, dry milk, wheat germ, honey and vanilla in a blender and blend until smooth.

Egg & Salmon Sandwich

Smoked salmon and egg whites on a toasted whole-wheat English muffin is the perfect power breakfast. For a more substantial meal, pair it with a piece of fruit or a glass of 100% juice.

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion

2 large egg whites, beaten

Pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon capers, rinsed and chopped (optional)

1 ounce smoked salmon

1 slice tomato

1 whole-wheat English muffin, split and toasted

Preparation

Heat oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, about 1 minute. Add egg whites, salt and capers (if using) and cook, stirring constantly, until whites are set, about 30 seconds.

To make the sandwich, layer the egg whites, smoked salmon and tomato on English muffin.

French Toast

Healthy Breakfast - Protein, fiber and calcium, all three are probably the most important nutrients that we should consume in the morning. Here's a perfect blend of all the three nutrients in a healthy breakfast

Ingredients

Bread slices 6

Egg 1

Milk 1 cup

Sugar 3 tbsp

Oil a little to fry bread slices

Preparation

Beat egg with sugar till well blended.

Add in milk and mix.

Dip the bread slices in the mixture and fry in a little oil from both sides.

Serve warm with tea

Abdominal Exercise

2011-05-31T04:56:00.000-07:00

Ab Exercise

Any good abs exercise program involves high intensity muscular overload and progressive increase in intensity. Abdominal exercises must be undertaken carefully so that the back is adequately supported. The upper and lower abdominal muscles are not separate muscles and abs exercises can help strengthen the entire abdominal region. But some exercises will tend towards developing either the upper or lower abdominal region. Abdominal exercises can help you also gain strong stomach muscles and back muscles. This can reduce the likelihood of back pains and provide protection against injury by efficient response to stress.

Bicycle Movement

The bicycle was ranked as the best abs exercise by the American Council on Exercise because it uses every muscle in your abs to create a strong, lean torso. Make sure you pull your abs in (draw your navel towards your spine) and keep them contracted throughout the movement to protect your back. Don't hold your breath and go slowly so you can really feel it! Do 10-16 reps.

Lie on the floor and lace your fingers behind your head.
Bring the knees in towards the chest and lift the shoulder blades off the floor without pulling on the neck.
Straighten the left leg out while simultaneously turning the upper body to the right, taking the left elbow towards the right knee.
Switch sides, bringing the right elbow towards the left knee.
Continue alternating sides in a 'pedaling' motion for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.

Captain's Chair Leg Raise

The captain's chair leg raise is the second most effective move for the rectus abdominis as well as the oblique. The key to keeping this move safe and effective is, first, to avoid swinging the legs or using momentum to bring the legs up. Second, keeping the knees bent will help you focus more on the abdominals and less on the hip flexors.

Stand on the chair and grip handholds to stabilize your upper body.
Press your back against the pad and contract the abs to raise the legs and lift knees towards your chest.
Don't arch the back or swing the legs up.
Slowly lower back down and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.

Crunch on an Exercise Ball

The exercise ball is an excellent tool to strengthen the abs and is the third most effective move for targeting the rectum abdominal. What makes this move a bit more effective than crunches on the floor is that the legs are often involved in floor crunches. On the ball, the abs do more work.

Sit on the exercise ball with your feet flat on the floor.
Let the ball roll back slowly and lie back until your thighs and torso are parallel with the floor.
Contract your abdominals raising your torso to no more than 45 degrees.
As you curl up, keep the ball stable (i.e., the ball shouldn't roll).
Lower back down, getting a stretch in the abs, and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.

Most Important Meal Of The Day

2011-05-25T06:09:00.001-07:00

The Importance of Breakfast

The American Dietetic Association says breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Despite the healthful benefits, breakfast may be the meal that is most often neglected or skipped. Eating breakfast not only aids in weight management, it fuels the body to help provide energy, better concentration and problem-solving ability throughout the day, according to the food and nutrition experts at the American Dietetic Association.

There are many reasons why people choose to skip breakfast, some think by skipping breakfast it will help to lose weight, and others just feel they don’t have time for breakfast. However, these are part of an incorrect thinking because breakfast is in fact the most important meal of the day.

Breakfast is the first chance the body has to refuel its blood glucose levels, also known as blood sugar, after eight to 12 hours without a meal or snack. Glucose is essential for the brain and is the main energy source. Blood glucose also helps fuel the muscles needed for physical activity throughout the day.

"Breakfast is also very important for weight loss and weight management,"

It helps curb your hunger and prevent binge eating later in the day. Breakfast is important to manage your weight and potentially lose weight by eating less calories throughout the day.

Starting your day with a good breakfast boosts your energy, increases your attention span, and heightens your sense of well-being. You’ll be in better control of your emotions. A good breakfast is one that provides at least one third of the day’s calories.

The effects of a skipped breakfast are short attention span, lack of alertness, longer reaction time, low blood sugar, decreased work productivity.

Simply remember the following tips while preparing your breakfast:

Breakfast should supply at least 25percent of your daily nutritional requirement. Should be high in complex carbohydrates and fiber like wheat or grain, less in saturated fat like butter and have a moderate amount of good quality protein like milk or egg. Chose a whole fruit rather than gulping down that juice.

Health is by Choice...not by chance! The choice is yours. You don’t have to be a statistic. By adopting a better diet and wiser lifestyle habits, you can live longer, feel better, and enjoy a healthier, more productive life.

Different approaches to Exercise

2011-05-24T05:10:00.000-07:00

Whether you’re trying to lose weight or just achieve a certain level of fitness, exercise is necessary. Everyone should exercise regularly just to maintain their general health, but for those aiming for weight loss, exercise can make a huge difference. People lose weight and get into shape must faster when they follow exercise programs than when they use dieting alone.

Exercise isn’t just great for weight loss, though. It also serves a stress reliever, a mood regulator, a way to keep your skin looking better, a way to tone your muscles, and just a way to do something good for yourself during some “me” time. Some people participate in fitness exercise just for weight loss or their health, while others consider exercise to consist of activities like going for a long walk after dinner, or spending time in the garden each day.

Fortunately, there are many different types of exercise so that you can choose things you enjoy doing. It’s important to participate in some sort of cardio exercise at least a few times a week, both for general health and to speed weight loss. Cardio exercise is aerobic in nature, meaning your body is using oxygen for an extended period of time, which lets your body burn fat. Walking at a good pace, running, using a stepper or an elliptical machine, swimming, bicycling and any activity that keeps your heart rate up for several minutes are considered cardio. These exercise your heart and lungs.

Weight training is also an important type of exercise. This tones the muscles which can make you look healthier and feel stronger. If you’re trying to lose weight, alternating weight training with cardio exercise is important. Not only will you tone up your body and make it smaller through exercising the muscles, but you’ll have good muscle tone appearing as your body sheds the fat on top of it.

Of course, if you’re eating a poor diet or eating too much, all the exercise in the world isn’t going to do as much good as it could if you were getting the proper nutrition and eating the right amount of calories for weight loss. If you’re not sure how to eat, you could read several diet reviews and use those to pick a plan that seems comfortable for you. But if you’ll just aim for lower fat meats and dairy products, whole grain breads and pastas, and lots of fruits and vegetables, you’ll be following the ideal diet - not just for weight loss but for health, too.

When you’re ready to start an exercise program, don’t just decide to run or use a stepper simply because everyone else is doing it. Find some sort of activity that you’ll enjoy, or pick several and switch off. If you choose something you find yourself dreading or that is too hard, you’ll end up not doing it. It’s easier to feel that motivation to get up and exercise each day if you know you’ll enjoy the time you spend improving your health.

Traditional Breakfast Ideas

2011-05-19T00:35:00.000-07:00

Here are some traditional choices you can select for your healthy breakfast.

French toast, waffles, or pancakes

Eggs

Cold cereal and milk

Yogurt with fruit or nuts

Hot cereal, such as oatmeal or cream of wheat

Fruit smoothie and fresh juices

Keep yourself fit and smart

2011-05-17T10:20:00.001-07:00

In these days people are forced to live in a very fast moving life. In today’s life style people have to travel long distances for their work places and return home by evening. In the midst of the fastness people usually forget to think deeply about their food. The often take foods which are easily available and consumable. They never concentrate on the quality of the food they have to take. Thus in the mean time, they may be forced to take even fast foods to quench their hunger. Fast foods are prepared with high fat content and certain taste makers which are poisonous to the human body. Moreover these fast foods have no nutritional value at all. Hence they are totally harmful to human body. The constituents in the fast food and their cooking media are favorable to increase the body weight of the consumer. Hence those who are willing to control their body weight by reducing the fat consumption must avoid fast food in all respects. Homely foods are highly desirable for a healthy body.
Another way to reduce excess fat for maintaining good health is to consume balanced diet. Balanced diets are foods which contain all essential nutrients with high nutritive value. In this diet all essential elements are found in proper concentration. Hence balanced need not be taken too much. A minimum quantity of balanced diet is suitable to support a healthy body. Hence consuming balanced is the ideal way to control excess fat in taking. Foods having low calorific value with high fiber content is very good far a reduced fatty diet. Oats is the ideal food which is highly recommended in this category. Oats are grains which have very low calorific value comparing to other foods available. The cholesterol content in oats is determined as zero. The fibers in oats work as sponges and absorb fat content present in human body tissues. Hence oats are very good low fatty food for maintaining good health.

Ideal Weight Chart

2011-05-15T21:43:00.001-07:00